A History of Burton

Burton gets its name from the sandstone outcrop known as Burton Point, which in Iron Age times had a hill fort.

Burton derives its name from burgh-tun, which means the settlement by the fort and probably dates from Anglo-Saxon times.

Another name for a headland is Ness and so Neston was the settlement by the Ness. Burton Point is now part of Burton Mere Wetlands, owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Burton Parish Church (pictured right) is dedicated to St Nicholas, a patron saint of sailors. This is because in medieval times Burton was a port with access to the river Dee. The church was rebuilt in 1721 and the clock is unusual in that it has only one hand.

Thomas Wilson was born in Burton in 1663 and became bishop of Sodor and Man. He founded a free school in the parish and the local primary school is named after him.

Burton Manor was originally built for the Congreve family as Burton Hall in the 19th Century. Henry Neville Gladstone bought it in 1902 and the house was greatly extended. The Gladstones sold the manor in 1924 and in 1948 it became an adult education college. In 2014 it is closed, and offered for sale by the owners, Liverpool City Council.

Behind the church in the woods are the Quaker graves which date from 1663. Among the interesting buildings in the village are the thatched cottage, Barn End, St Nicholas house with a date stone of 1711, Church House dating from about 1470 and opposite the Manor entrance Bishop Wilson’s cottage, which was built in the 16th century.